Motorized tracking device

ABSTRACT

A mount and tracking mechanism for solar panels and antennae. The tracking mechanism comprises electric motor actuators which operate a small gear reducer drive. The output of the small reducer drive is connected to the input of a large gear reducer drive. The output of the large gear reducer drive moves the solar panels or antennae. This arrangement results in a substantial increase in the torque of the output shaft of the large gear reducer drive.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/756,590, entitled “Motorized Tracking Device”, filed Jan. 4, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to tracking systems and more specifically to systems which are useful in conjunction with a solar collector or a satellite antenna.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional tracking systems usually employ two independent drives to tilt the collector or antenna about two different axes. One axis is vertical and commonly called the azimuth. This tracks the sun or a satellite as it passes across the sky as a result of the earth's rotation. The other axis is the elevation axis wherein the collector or antenna is tilted within an angular range of about 90 degrees from the horizon upward. A typical day for a solar collector would start with the azimuth drive pointing east and end with it pointing west. The elevation of the collector is dependent upon the latitude at which the solar collector is located on earth and the particular time of the year.

Tracking systems are also required when communicating with non-geosynchronous satellites. These are not stationary with respect to the earth and usually wander within an approximately 10° range in an inclined orbit. Therefore, after an antenna is set up and a satellite is acquired it still must be movable to keep track of the satellite as it wanders in its orbit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

An example of a known solar tracking system is U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,067 which discloses a solar collector mounted on a vertically oriented tower. The collector is pivotally secured to the top of the tower so that the azimuth drive may rotate the collector in a horizontal plane as required. The azimuth drive comprises two double acting hydraulic actuators arranged at approximately 90° with respect to each other and connected to a single crank arm. Angle sensors mounted on the collector report the final position achieved by the azimuth drive. These sensors can also detect if the collector has been blown from its desired position by the wind and activate the azimuth drive to correct the position. A single hydraulic actuator controls the elevation of the collector in response to an elevation angle sensor or inclinometer. The hydraulic drive systems are designed to endure wind loads of 70 to 80 miles per hour. The drive system has pressure limiting means which allow it to be back driven by winds in excess of those which the system was designed to endure. The tracking system also moves the collector into a wind stow position when the winds exceed the system's wind load design. These two feature remove the collector from operation until it can be restored to its position prior to the high winds. If the winds are sustained this time period can be substantial and shut down of the collector will occur.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,174 discloses a solar collector which employs two electric motors and gear assemblies to control the azimuth and elevation of the collector. The motors are operated in response to sensors which detect the magnitude of the sunshine. The output of the sensors activates the circuitry which operates the motors to position the collector in alignment with the sun. The problem of wind loading is addressed by employing light weight support structure for the solar collectors. This also reduces the torque and power requirements of the motors since they are not able to withstand significant torque loads.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,139 discloses a satellite antenna and tracking assembly for use with satellites which are not stationary relative to the earth. These satellites usually wander within an approximately 10° range in inclined orbits. When the antenna is first installed the latitude and longitude of the antenna must be determined to determine the nominal azimuth and elevation angles. Once these are set the automatic acquisition and tracking operation of the system can be employed. The tracking system will operate independent actuators to adjust the azimuth and elevation of the antenna until the optimum signal is obtained from the satellite.

A flat panel antenna is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,913. The support for the antenna has no provision for tracking a satellite and adjusting the antenna in response thereto. The azimuth of the antenna may be adjusted manually by pivoting the support 19 and the elevation may be adjusted with a motorized actuator 16. However, neither of these adjustments is in response to the position of an overhead satellite.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an adjustable mounting and tracking support for solar panels or antennae. The support includes means to secure it to a fixed surface such as the earth and actuators to control both the rotation of the support about a horizontal axis and the rotation of the support about a vertical axis. The two axes are transverse to each other so as to enable the support to be aligned with an object in the sky. A first actuator is a bi-directional actuator which is coupled to a small reducer gear drive which in turn is coupled to a large reducer gear drive. This provides a mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the support about a first axis which is orthogonal to the surface of the earth. A second actuator is a bi-directional actuator which is coupled to a small reducer gear drive which in turn is coupled to a large reducer gear drive. This provides a mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the support about a second axis which is orthogonal to the first axis. The first and second actuators respond to signals from the tracking system which determines the position of the sun or a satellite in the sky and adjusts the position of the support to become aligned with the sun or the satellite.

Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to provide a mounting and tracking support for solar panels or antennae.

It is a further objective of the instant invention to provide a mounting and tracking support to which a solar panel array or antennae may be easily and quickly secured.

It is yet another objective of the instant invention to provide a mounting and tracking support wherein the components of the tracking system can be easily and rapidly interchanged to yield the power and torque requirements necessary for moving the attached solar panels or antennae.

It is yet a further objective of the instant invention to provide a mounting support which utilizes gear reducer drives composed of worm screws and gears to prevent movement of the solar panels and antennae in winds with speeds in excess of 100 mph.

It is still another objective of the instant invention to provide a data port to enable upgrading of satellite positions in the memory.

It is a still further objective of the instant invention to provide a mounting and tracking support which utilize connectors which prevent incorrect connection of other components.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is an exploded view of the tracking mechanism;

FIG. 1B is a schematic illustrating the satellite position controller;

FIG. 1C is an illustration of one embodiment of the user interface;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the tracking mechanism with one of the actuator covers removed;

FIG. 3 is side view of the tracking mechanism illustrating the limit switches of the output shaft of the second large gear reducer drive;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the tracking mechanism; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the means to mount the tracking mechanism to a base stand.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

FIG. 1A is an exploded view of the tracking mechanism 10 for a solar panel or an antenna support. A first bi-directional actuator 12 can comprise a bi-directional electric motor 14, a motor control and gear assembly 16, and an output shaft. The output shaft is coupled to the input shaft 20 of a first small gear reducer drive 22. The actuator 12 is mounted to an actuator adaptor coupling 18 which surrounds the input shaft of the first small gear reducer drive. The coupling 18 is fixedly mounted to the housing of the first small gear reducer drive. This arrangement permits the actuator to be coupled to the input shaft of the gear reducer drive but not rotate with the input shaft. The output shaft 26 of the first small gear reducer drive is transversely positioned with respect to the input shaft. The output shaft 26 turns substantially slower than the input shaft 20 due to a worm screw connected to the input shaft which drives gear(s) connected to the output shaft. This arrangement results in a substantial increase in torque of the output shaft. This also prevents any movement of the tracking mechanism due to outside forces exerted on the antenna.

The output shaft of the first small gear reducer drive is coupled to the input shaft 30 of a first large gear reducer drive 28. The first large gear reducer drive is similar in construction to the first small gear reducer drive, employing a worm screw connected to the input shaft and gear(s) connected to the output shaft 32. This arrangement also results in a substantial increase in torque of the output shaft. One end of the output shaft 32 of the first large gear reducer drive is non-rotationally secured to a base mount 34 which in turn is secured to a swivel 35. The swivel is clamped in between the base mount 34 and a base stand 37 so as to not permit rotary motion of the swivel. The base mount and base stand do not rotate. Since the output shaft of the first large gear reducer cannot rotate the housing of the first large gear reducer rotates, as seen in FIG. 5. The housing of the first large gear reducer drive is mounted to plates 36, 38 and 40. This arrangement permits rotation of the entire mounting and tracking support with respect to the base mount and base support. The housing of the first small gear reducer drive is mounted to a spacer block 42 which in turn is mounted to plate 36.

A second bi-directional actuator 44 can comprise a bi-directional electric motor 46, a motor control and gear assembly 48 and an output shaft. The output shaft is coupled to the input shaft 50 of a second small gear reducer drive 52. The second actuator is mounted on an actuator adaptor coupling 54 which surrounds the input shaft of the second small gear reducer drive. This arrangement allows the actuator to be mounted to the input shaft of the gear reducer drive but not rotate with the input shaft. The output shaft 56 of the second small gear reducer drive is transversely positioned with respect to the input shaft 50. The output shaft 56 turns substantially slower than the input shaft 50 as a result of a worm screw connected to the input shaft which drives gear(s) connected to the output shaft. This arrangement results in a substantial increase in torque of the output shaft.

The output shaft of the second small gear reducer drive is coupled to the input shaft 58 of a second large gear reducer drive 60. The second large gear reducer drive is similar in construction to the first large gear reducer drive, employing a worm screw connected to the input shaft and gear(s) connected to the output shaft. This arrangement also results in a substantial increase in torque of the output shaft. The output shaft 62 of the second large gear reducer drive 60 is connected to arm 64 of mounting block 66. The support for solar panels is attached to the mounting block 66. Also, satellite antennae can be attached to the mounting block 66. The second small gear reducer gear box 52 is mounted to plate 38. The second large gear reducer box 60 is mounted to plate 40. Preferably all of the gear reducer drives employ a worm screw and gear to translate the rotary motion of the input shaft to the out put shaft. This arrangement provides a substantial increase in the torque of the output shaft and also prevents outside forces, such as wind, from moving the tracking mechanism and antenna.

A switch mounting plate 70 is attached to the top of the housing of the first large gear reducer drive. Limit switches 72 and 74 are mounted on the mounting plate in close proximity to the output shaft 32 of the first large gear reducer drive. An element mounted onto the shaft 32 or the shaft itself actuates the limit switches. These indicate the maximum positions or degrees of rotation of the first large gear reducer drive.

A second switch mounting plate 76 is attached to plate 40 and surrounds one end of the output shaft 62 of the second large gear reducer drive 60. Limit switches 78 and 80 are mounted on plate 76 in close proximity to the output shaft 62. An element mounted onto the shaft 62 or the shaft itself actuates the limit switches. A third switch mounting plate 82 is also attached to plate 40 and surrounds an opposite end of output shaft 62 of the second large gear reducer drive 60. Limit switches 84 and 86 are mounted on plate 82. Limit switches 78, 80, 84, and 86 indicate the maximum positions or degrees of rotation of the second large gear reducer drive 60.

The bi-directional actuators are controlled by a micro controller or computer located in a control box 90, as shown in FIG. 1B. Two separate power supplies are employed to provide power to the actuator motors and the micro controller. The control box is in communication with the actuators 12 and 44 via communication links 92 and 94 (FIG. 1A). The bi-directional actuators and/or outputs from the gear reducer drives provide feedback to the micro controller or computer, via the sensor input buffer, to provide an initial or “start” position of the antenna. The feedback from the bi-directional actuators and/or outputs from the gear reducer drives also provide information to determine a location of the antenna so the computer will stop control of the actuators once the antenna has reached the desired position. The control box 90 is located in close proximity to the tracking mechanism 10. The control box may have a wired connection to the actuators or be in wireless communication with the actuators. Control buttons, switches, joysticks, etc. are connected to the control box via a user interface 91 allow an operator to control specific, preprogrammed movements of the tracking mechanism. For example, a control may allow the antenna to be rapidly moved east or west and up or down to quickly acquire a home satellite. A storm feature button will move the antenna to a desired position so as to minimize the exposure to the wind. A jog button or control permits movement in both axes, east/west and north/south for fine tuning of a satellite signal. An alpha/numeric keyboard is also provided to allow input of information to identify specific satellites such as satellite name or initials and numbers as well as degree orbit slot in degrees if this information has not been previously stored in the memory of the computer. The positions of known satellites have been previously stored in the memory of the computer or microprocessor. Another control will tilt the antenna for snow removal.

A monitor or TV is connected to the control panel and tracking mechanism at the video out terminal of the video text overlay 96 to allow the operator to monitor the position of the antenna, strength of the signal received from a satellite, satellite name and location, etc. The signal received from a satellite is sent through the LNB signal strength sensor 98 to provide an input to the micro controller 90. An analog compass sensor 100 provides data indicating the direction in which the antenna is positioned. A RS-232 port 102 is provided for the uploading of data regarding satellite positions and software updates for the control of the tracking mechanism. The operator may also access the control box remotely utilizing a telephone connection, the Internet, wireless communications, or communications from a “home” satellite. The inputs may also be password protected for security purposes.

An example of a typical operation is as follows:

the user turns the unit on;

the user then inputs the name of the satellite and its number or scrolls down a menu to locate the satellite;

the user then presses “enter” or “select”;

after acquisition of the satellite signal the user observes the video, audio and data signals, if they are satisfactory no further input is required;

if the user is not satisfied with the signals they can press the “auto peak” button which will utilize a preprogrammed control to maximize the satellite signal strength;

if the user is still not satisfied with the signals, they can press the “jog” button which will allow for manual fine tuning of the tracking mechanism in four different directions;

once the optimum signal has been obtained the satellite position is stored in the memory and replaces the previous satellite position;

after the user is finished they will press the “home” button to align the antenna with a specific “home” satellite.

The software which provides these operations may be preprogrammed into the computer or microprocessor or may be uploaded through various connections such as the RS-232 connection, the Internet, wireless communications, etc.

All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. All patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A tracking assembly for use with electromagnetic radiation receivers requiring precise orientation, said tracking assembly comprising: a support base; a first assembly having an output of a first gear reducer directly coupled to said support base to prevent backlash and an input coupled to a first bi-directional actuator, operation of said first controllable bi-directional actuator permitting rotation of said first housing assembly in a first axis around said support base; a second housing assembly secured to said first housing assembly, said second housing assembly having an input of a second gear reducer coupled to a second bi-directional actuator and an output of said second gear reducer coupled to a mounting block, operation of said second controllable bi-directional actuator permitting rotation of said mounting block in a second axis orthogonal to said support base; means for securing a receiver to said mounting block; and a controller for selectively applying power to said first and said second controllable bi-directional actuators for positioning the receiver.
 2. The tracking assembly according to claim 1 wherein each said bi-directional actuator is coupled to a cone drive worm gear for rotation of said gear reducers.
 3. The tracking assembly according to claim 1 wherein an input of a third gear reducer is coupled to said first bi-directional actuator and an output of said third gear reducer is coupled to said input of said first gear reducer.
 4. The tracking assembly according to claim 3 wherein an input of a fourth gear reducer is coupled to said second bi-directional actuator and an output of said fourth gear reducer is coupled to said input of said second gear reducer.
 5. The tracking assembly according to claim 4 wherein said first and said second gear reducers comprise a cone drive worm gear.
 6. The tracking assembly according to claim 1 wherein said controller includes means to enable alignment of the receiver with satellites or other objects located above the surface of the earth.
 7. The tracking assembly according to claim 6 wherein said means to enable alignment further includes means for measuring signal strength from said satellite and means responsive to said measured signal strength for actuating said controller to optimize receiver alignment.
 8. The tracking assembly according to claim 7 wherein said means to enable alignment comprise sensors positioned adjacent the output of said first and said second gear reducers to determine the rotation of the output of said first and said second gear reducers.
 9. The tracking assembly according to claim 8 wherein said sensors comprise limit switches which measure the degree of rotation of the outputs of said first and said second gear reducers.
 10. The tracking assembly according to claim 1 wherein said controller includes an interface which enables an operator to make small changes in the alignment of said receiver with said satellite or other object based on a signal strength or video image.
 11. The tracking assembly of claim 1 wherein said controller includes information to position said receiver in a position wherein said receiver would be least affected by wind.
 12. The tracking assembly according to claim 1 wherein said controller includes information to position said receiver in a position wherein said receiver would be least affected by snow fall.
 13. The tracking assembly according to claim 4 wherein said first and said second gear reducers have larger gears than said third and said fourth gear reducers and a larger torque output.
 14. The tracking assembly according to claim 4 wherein said first and said third gear reducers are mounted to a first support plate; said first and said second gear reducers are mounted to a second support plate; said second support plate is substantially parallel to said first support plate; said first and said fourth gear reducers are mounted to a third support plate; said third support plate is substantially orthogonal to said first and said second support plates.
 15. The tracking assembly according to claim 6 wherein said controller is programmable to retain the position of new satellites and other objects.
 16. The tracking assembly according to claim 1 wherein said controller is remotely controlled. 